The Big Three are finally done one-upping each other in this year's Michigan State Police vehicle evaluations, with the 2012 Dodge Charger Pursuit V8 laying down some heady numbers on the test track. The Charger emerged with the fastest lap time ever recorded in the Michigan State Police test's history, at 1:33.7.

That, boys and girls, is something else. The Chevrolet Caprice PPV may have the best top speed and braking, but the Charger has shown it has the chops to slice up the twisties as well. The Hemi-powered Charger also gets to 60 in under six seconds with the optional 3.07 gears.

*MSP's 2012 model year preliminary data
September 23, 2011 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Designed and engineered to be America's high-performance police vehicle, the new 2012 Dodge Charger V-6 and V-8 models set new levels of performance - including the fastest lap time ever recordered (1:33.70) - at Michigan State Police's (MSP) annual Police Vehicle Evaluation tests earlier this week at Grattan Raceway in Belding, Mich.

"Achieving the fastest-ever lap time at the Michigan State Police's annual Police Vehicle Evaluation test reflects the mission of the Dodge Charger Pursuit Team to equip our law enforcement officials with the absolute best combination of vehicle performance and tactical equipment," said Peter Grady, Vice President of Network Development and Fleet, Chrysler Group LLC. "Even more impressive is that all four Michigan State Police Vehicle Test Team drivers averaged their fastest times in the Charger Pursuit – reinforcing the driver confidence provided when world-class acceleration, braking, handling and dynamics are combined."

In addition to the 370 horsepower and world-class performance and precision of the Dodge Charger Pursuit V-8 model, the 292 horsepower Charger Pursuit V-6 models held their own around Grattan Raceway, averaging the fastest times for naturally aspirated (1:37.71) and E-85 capable(1:37.57) six-cylinder police cars.

Rapid acceleration is also critical to quickly catching up to target vehicles, and the 2012 Dodge Charger Pursuit V-8 leads the police sedan segment with the fastest 0-to-60 to 0-to-100 mph times.

New for 2012, Dodge Charger Pursuit offers six all-new quality-tested and factory-installed police-equipment packages backed by the factory. In addition, 24 free-standing options allow for the customer to equip the Charger Pursuit to his or her specification.

The Dodge Charger features two uncompromised, high-performance engines that deliver world-class levels of power, refinement, technology and fuel efficiency.

Developed with the guidance of the brand's Police Advisory Board, the Dodge Charger Pursuit features a mobile-command interior with unique features, including a Vehicle Systems Interface Module for easy equipment integration, heavy-duty police-duty front seats and column-mounted shifter with Auto Stick.

In addition to its Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) "Top Safety Pick," the Dodge Charger Pursuit surrounds the heroic men and women who protect with uncompromising safety and security equipment, including standard advanced multi-stage driver and front-passenger air bags, seat-mounted side-thorax air bags, supplemental side-curtain air bags for front and rear outboard passengers and driver's knee bag.

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Cash, the requirement for power comes from being at a dead stop, or going 60-70 in one direction, and need ing to get going the direction of the offender and achieve an overtake speed (offender going +80, you need a good bit of speed over that the catch them. As far as chases, they really dont need top end, chases rarely top say 120ish. Fiestas cant take a hit and keep going, and have no room for gear, even the 16 cubic foot truck of the Charger is a bit cramped. This applies to rural and highway departments, not urban ones.
Butterfly? Product of Turin? Which part of this car comes from FIAT? Do you have any idea as to product lead times? And I have never been to Detroit in my life:) And I"m not mad, am pretty happy that the Charger shined in whats arguably the most important single test. If you really want to know what a car can do, go to a road course. Not a dragstrip or a skidpad.

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You know, for all the talk of speed and lap times, wouldn't the more important information for officers 99% of the time involve boring stuff like which has the easiest to clean interior, the easiest to get a reluctant arrestee into, and what has the most comfortable seat for really long shifts?

You mention of the back seat in the charger of being small.. But i had a 2007 charger and it could easily fit three adults in there with no entry/exit problems.
I think the new chargers are even better at that.
So I don't see what the issue is here.

I believe the room complaint is due to the need of having a rear cage installed for protection. Example: catch a good episode of Frontier Force or Alaska State Troopers on Nat.Geo. and you can see how awkward it is with someone in cuffs.

No, you're not. It's supposed to have a 6.0L 355hp V8 optional. Yet most of these tests seem to just talk about the V6, you'd think they would be putting that up against the NA V6 in the Ford and the V6 in the Charger.